Haedong Yonggungsa Temple
Busan, South Korea
Haedong Yonggungsa is a working Buddhist temple with no admission charge.
3 tickets & tours
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Best temples in South Korea
Korean Buddhism is overwhelmingly the meditative Seon tradition of the Jogye Order, and most of its temples sit in mountain valleys, with painted wooden halls, stone pagodas and a bell pavilion. The catalogue’s finest is Bulguksa near Gyeongju, the Silla temple of the Buddha Land completed in 774. Haeinsa, on Gayasan near Hapcheon, keeps the Tripitaka Koreana, more than 81,000 medieval woodblocks, and Sinheungsa stands at the entrance to Seoraksan National Park near Sokcho. Two temples break the mountain rule: Haedong Yonggungsa on the rocks of the Busan coast and Naksansa on a headland at Yangyang. In Seoul, Jogyesa is the order’s head temple, and Jongmyo is the Confucian ancestral shrine of the Joseon kings.
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Bulguksa Temple
Gyeongju, South Korea
Bulguksa itself needs no ticket bought in advance. Since 2023 the temple no longer charges an admission fee, so…
2 tickets & tours
Haeinsa Temple
Hapcheon, South Korea
Haeinsa does not sell tickets online, and since 2023 there has been no admission charge at Korea's major heritage…
1 ticket or tour
Jogyesa Temple
Seoul, South Korea
Jogyesa is free to enter and open around the clock, so there is no ticket to buy: you walk in from the street at the…
1 ticket or tour
Jongmyo Shrine
Seoul, South Korea
Jongmyo has an unusual entry system that shapes how you visit.
1 ticket or tour
Naksansa Temple
Yangyang, South Korea
Naksansa does not sell tickets online, and entry is free;
1 ticket or tour
Sinheungsa Temple, Seoraksan
Sokcho, South Korea
No ticket for Sinheungsa alone is sold online, and none is needed.
No online ticket
Temples are free and open early: arrive at opening to beat the school groups at Bulguksa, and come for sunrise over the sea at Yonggungsa and Naksansa. Jongmyo closes on Tuesdays. Dress modestly and take your shoes off before entering a hall. Mid-October to early November brings the maples, and the weeks before Buddha’s Birthday in April or May hang Jogyesa with lanterns.
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Temples in South Korea: questions
How many temples are there in South Korea?
This catalogue lists 7 temples, shrines and mosques in South Korea, 6 of them with tickets or tours to book online. The most booked are Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, Bulguksa Temple, Naksansa Temple.
Which is the oldest temple in South Korea?
Bulguksa Temple, founded in 528, is the oldest in the catalogue for South Korea.
Which temples in South Korea are free to enter?
6 of the 7 temples in South Korea charge no entry fee, among them Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, Bulguksa Temple, Naksansa Temple. The entry fee is shown on each page.
Which temples in South Korea are UNESCO World Heritage Sites?
3 temples in South Korea in this catalogue are on the UNESCO World Heritage List, including Bulguksa Temple, Jongmyo Shrine, Haeinsa Temple.